A Lincoln Park alderperson has called on the city to take legal action after hundreds of young people attended an “unpermitted” event at North Avenue Beach on Wednesday night, featuring “a drinking contest, boxing matches, and twerking contests.”
The event, which attracted about 400 people, was promoted anonymously and on social media, with organizers encouraging attendees to bring their own alcohol and drugs, according to a statement from Ald. Michele Smith (43rd).
Police received a warning of the event and searched beachgoers at the entrances for alcohol and drugs. Smith claims the “party attendees” still engaged in “illegal activities,” such as “climbing the lifeguard towers and climbing on CTA buses.”
As police cleared the beach, residents reported gatherings at local gas stations and other businesses, according to Smith.
The area was cleared by midnight and no injuries were reported, according to police.
One 18-year-old was arrested after he “ignored verbal commands and continued to try to cause bodily harm to several individuals,” police said. The teen was charged with a misdemeanor count of reckless conduct.
Smith has called on the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, and the Chicago Park District to work with the Chicago Police to bring “appropriate legal action against the organizers of the illegal event.”
